This Stude fastback was shown multiple times at the old WCK Paso Robles event, but I haven't seen it for a number of years. I thought it was eccentric but great looking. Its builder, Buck Jones, seemed correspondingly eccentric. Anybody seen it recently, or know its current status/whereabouts?
Too cool custom. Anyone have front and side shots? Very darn few. I love almost all of them, but the '58 4-dr sedan was an UGLY baby. Only photo I could find was a cop car. jack vines
I get weak in the knees looking at that car. I see it rolling side by side with Cadzilla! You guys really know how to do it right!!
The ROCKETEER is a Studebaker with a 50 bullet and 51 grille. It has a GM fastback roof that has been chopped and a custom made trunk lid. The first year it was shown in Paso Robles, CA it was bare metal. The following year at Paso Robles it was painted with purple primer. The next year it was painted green with the chrome changed to a gold color and it had different wheels. The latest version is jet black and the gold colored trim is now chrome again. Corvette bumpers and 1952 Studebaker headlight rims have been added to the front end. This car has been called The Rocketeer, then Jet Sled and the new name may be Dr Evil per the license plate. No idea where it is now. But I like it!
I swiped the pictures in my OP from this website, which deals with customized bullet-nose studes: http://www.citlink.net/~junge/Phantoms/PH-05-Rocketeer.htm You can see in the earlier front view that Buck split the windshield into two panes with a body-color divider bar, giving it a kind of vintage airplane look (the original had two flat panes with a stainless divider bar).
haven't seen that car in many years, though I did see it in all the different colors. I overheard the guy bellyaching at a show that he had to pay to get in, then the show charged people to look at his car. maybe he locked it up in the garage and it will never be seen again. I was just thinking of this car the other day when I was looking at Andy's Picnic shots from Vallejo. that was the first time I ever saw it.
1995 and 1996. West Coast Customs Los Banos, and Pleasanton Goodguys. I have pics of it in bare metal somewhere.
The "Dr.Evil" picture of it is amazing! Buck Jones or whoever designed that car had to be eccentric or maybe visionary to come up with that. Wonder what the interior is like? Sure is one of the finest old Studes I've seen. Thanks for the picture 50Fraud.
I believe the car is in the Grants Pass OR. area. His brother lives there. I've seen the car in bare metal, purple primer (Frankenstude came out before Buck could finish Rocketeer, and was Purple, Purple was to be the finished color, Buck was really pissed about this, and never did find another color he liked), green (Buck matched the green to a match book cover), and black. Just an AWESOME car! The interior was pretty stock looking.
Was out in Medford Oregon visiting my mother years ago...woke up one morning and looked out the bedroom window to check weather and saw the Rocketeer parked in the driveway across the street!
Yes Rocky, the car was a driver. It was from Livermore CA. area. He'd drive it to Oregon to visit family. He drove it on the Power tour too, at least I think that's what it was. It went across country at least once.
That must have been the one I was thinking of, not Hot Rod Power Tour. I know he drove it on one of them. h
My Bullet Nose Paradise website was moved to another server and the above link is old. It appears that the car is now red and in Oregon because of some new photos I received. The updated link to the page for this car is ... https://bnp.pairsite.com/Phantoms/P-05.htm